Day 6 Page and Antelope Canyons

We started this morning with breakfast in the hotel.  It was quite busy at 8am but we soon found a couple of chairs.  Back in our room we sorted out water bottles, sun cream, hats and camera ready for our day.

We had reserved 'Ken' s Tours' for Lower Antelope Canyon at 10.30.  We arrived early as requested and booked in.  We had a quick wander round the gift shop and we were then directed to our meeting point.  (There were a lot of people waiting at the ticket office for last minute cancellations and no shows. So pleased we had booked before we left home!!)  We were allocated a guide in groups of 15.  We were stunned when we realised the slot canyon was literally just a few feet away and we were walking the 5 mins to the entrance.  There is no hint from ground level of what you are about to see.

We walked down a sandy slope to the canyon entrance.  There were some very steep steps built down into the canyon.  This apparently used to be the exit but it was changed so you didn't gave to walk back up a sandy hill at the end of your tour!

The next hour and 15 mins passed with many wow's and "OMG look".  Keith was on camera duty this morning and I seriously thought the freshly charged camera was going to expire from overuse! 😂  Words really can't describe the colours and shapes visible throughout the canyon.  This canyon has a V shape, narrow at the bottom and wider at the top.  Some of the walk ways were to narrow to place a foot so you needed to half climb through the gaps.  It as definitely the sort of experience you don't want to end.  As you go through there are small metal stairways built in that gradually bring you back to the surface at the end of the mile long canyon and back out into the sunshine.  Just a WOW experience.

 

We headed back to the hotel to recharge the camera.  We grabbed a coffee from the hotel breakfast area (available for free all day) and took an hour to chill.  We were due for a tour of the Upper Antelope Canyon, with Navajo tours, at 1pm ready for a 2pm tour.  We stopped at Wal-Mart and bought a sub to share and headed back to Antelope Point.  The temperature was rising by now and was heading for the mid 80s.  We booked in, then sat in the air conned car to eat our lunch, then reapplied suncream before joining the meeting point.  This canyon is about a 10 minute jeep ride away, we were allocated a guide (groups of 14ish) who then took us to our jeep for the short ride over the desert! 

 

 

 

This canyon differed from this morning in a number of ways.  First off you can just walk straight into the canyon.  It is also A shaped so wide at the bottom and narrow at the top.  This was very visible the further in we went as it got much darker, with just glimmers of sun high above us.  It also felt much busier than Lower Antelope.  Equally stunning in its own way it was perhaps spoilt a little with the number of people.  We made our way through the canyon taking lots more pictures.  Our guide gathered us together at the far end and we then made our way back through.  The instructions say photos on the way in only, none on the return walk.  It was well worth doing though.  We returned on the jeep to the car park said our thanks to our guide and headed for the air con of the car!

We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at Lake Powell.  We headed across the Glen Canyon Dam and turned of to Wahweap, a national park area and marina on Lake Powell.  We stopped at a couple of view points along the way to admire the view before parking up at the boat hire marina and walked out onto the pontoons just to get a close up of the lovely clear water.

 

 

 

 

 

would love to have had time to take a boat out on the lake

 

 

It has again been a lovely day with staggering scenery.  We popped back to the hotel to shower before heading to Denny's for dinner!  Keith was looking forward to his Denny's milkshake. 

As we got ready for bed later we found an old programme on the TV showing the building of the Glen Canyon Dam and how Page was built around it - fascinating.

Tomorrow's plan is a long drive to Moab via Monument Valley.

Day 5 Grand Canyon to Page via Horseshoe Bend

With my alarm set just before 6 I was up and out in time for the sunrise over the Grand Canyon.  Keith decided to stay in bed so I set off to the West of our hotel where we had watch the sunset the previous evening.  A lovely couple from Ohio started chatting to me after she realised I was English after exchanging "good mornings".  Love how the Americans have very set views about us, his first question was have you been to Scotland? is it lovely? Is it easy to get to the place Downton Abbey is set! Oh and the Harry Potter castle?  Did you all really love the royal wedding?!

After watching the sun rise I popped back to change shoes as my feet were cold in the sandles I'd slipped on and went out again to explore a little to the east of our hotel.

After getting Keith out of bed we packed the cases, popped them in the car and went to find some breakfast.  The restaurant at Bright Angel was still closedwith kitchen problems so we popped into the cafe to grab a coffee and cinnamon bun each and sat outside looking at the canyon while we ate and watched a chipmunk darting around.

We had a quick wander along the rim and ventured a little way down the Bright Angel Trail just to get "in the canyon" before heading back to the hotel to check out.  We also popped in the gift shop to buy a magnet (the first of my collection for this trip!).

We took the car and headed east to the visitor centre.  Wow, the view of the canyon from here was in our opinion better than from our hotel site.  We wandered along the rim for an hour or so before reluctantly leaving. 

We planned to stop at a couple of stops/view points as we headed along Desert View Drive (east road in and out of the park).  First stop was an unsignposted stop where a few cars were parked (I now know this was Shoshone Point).  We started walking through the forest in the general direction of the rim.  I asked one of the returning walkers if we were actually heading for a good view.  They assured us we were and to make sure we walked all the way to the point.  About 15 minutes later we found it and oh wow what a find it was.  Just one other person there and over 180° of the most amazing view of the canyon.  Stunning.  This really is a "point" jutting out into the canyon.  We just sat there looking at it, both reluctant to leave. Eventually we headed back to the car, the sun was starting to get hot and it was only 10am.

Sitting at the end of this narrow peninsula was my favourite part of the day

Our next stop was Desert View Watchtower, again a really stunning view we also grabbed some sandwiches for lunch here which we ate in the air conned car!  There were also view points alongside the road which were fabulous.   We have been totally blown away by the views of the Grand Canyon today.

We needed to get on the road and set off to Page.  We had a quick stop at Cameron to fuel up. We then headed north through more changing landscapes most notably high red rock mountains.  We were looking for a pull off for Horseshoe Bend and thought we had missed it but it was actually only a couple of miles outside Page. 

We parked up in the car park, grabbed some bottles of water out of the cool box and headed up the sandy path.  At the top we saw there was a steep downward slope to the view point (remember what goes down has to come back up!😥).  We joined the crowds at the edge.  Amazing views of the Colorado river as it meanders it's way round the bend.  Tourist boats on the water gave a feel of how far down the canyon was and also how wide the river actually is.  So easy to lose a sense of size and distance amongst the canyons.

We started the walk back.  OMG so steep and hot, really hardwork!  After a couple of rest stops we made it.  In hindsight mid afternoon in 85° heat was probably not the best time to tackle this short but hilly walk!

It was just a quick drive from there to our hotel (Holiday Inn Express).  After a quick shower we headed out to get drinks and a hat for Keith from Wal-Mart.

Feeling hungry now we drove into the centre of Page and eventually found a small grill restaurant where I had steak and fries and Keith had a Philly cheese sandwich and fries.  Bit of a different place than we would normally go but food was nice.

picture from google maps

Day 4 Route 66 and the Grand Canyon

Apologies, no photos yet as Wi-Fi and internet access is poor at the Grand Canyon

We woke just before sunrise and opened the curtains to watch the sun peep over the mountains behind Home Depot!  The river looked very peaceful in the early morning sun with no water taxis or jet skis rippling the surface.

Sunrise over Home Depot!!

A while later we headed down to breakfast in one of the hotel cafes.  Keith had a skillet breakfast with 2 overeasy eggs and I had a French bread sandwich! Turkey, ham, maple bacon, mozzarella and sliced apples in a thick sandwich dipped in egg then fried til dark golden brown, served with maple syrup!  Bit odd to start with but the flavours together grew on me altho I in no way managed to eat it all!

unusual tea pot!

French Bread Sandwich - no calories at all!!!

We had another quick walk alongside the river and watched a trout catching flies on the surface of the water.

We loaded the car and checked out.  Temperature at 8am was 93°f. We crossed the river straight into Arizona and headed out to pick up Route 66 at Kingman after a quick fuel top up.  Again the roads were much better than we expected and the scenery fantastic with rocky mountains, vast plains and towns consisting of just a couple of buildings.  It also followed along the railroad tracks and we saw several long, long, long winding trains.  We drove through Seligman but decided it wasn't really our thing so rejoined the highway heading for the Grand Canyon.

We arrived just after 3 and after a couple of tours round the car park finally found a space.  We were staying at the Thunderbird Lodge in Grand Canyon Village but checkin was  next door at Bright Angel Lodge.  We walked along the canyon path getting our first views of the canyon.   We have a 2nd floor room with partial views over the canyon.

View from our room

After a cup of tea and a freshen up we grabbed the camera and headed out onto to the rim trail.  What a stunning place!  Almost surreal, it looks like a painting! Majestic and so peaceful.  We met a few others on the trail but it was relatively quiet.  We stopped at many points along the way to take pictures and just to admire.  We walked for about an hour and a half before heading back.  We arrived back at the village just in time for the sunset.  We sat for a while til the sun disappeared and the canyon was all in shade, then went back to our room.

For dinner we headed to the restaurant in Bright Angel Lodge but unfortunately they had kitchen problems and had closed the restaurant.  We walked to the food court at Maswick Lodge and had burger and fries!  Not exactly how we planned our evening.  Never mind.  We walked back along the canyon rim marvelling at the moonlit walkways and amazed at the number of stars we could see. 

Another fabulous, busy day and we are ready for bed at 9pm!  Going to hopefully be up really early tomorrow to see the sun rise.

   

Day 3 Off to Nevada

Another early morning wakeup, still getting used to the time difference!  Breakfast was again in the hotel, and after cereal and bagel with cream cheese we packed our cases and headed out. 

After a quick stop at Wal-Mart to stock up on water and something for lunch and we were on our way to Nevada.  We were quickly out of the sprawling California metropolis and heading into the hills and mountains to the east.  With cloudless blue skies the scenery was really interesting, with mountain ranges and long flat plains dotted with small towns.  The roads were much better on this part of the trip than we had expected with 2 and 3 lane freeways most of the way and quite a bit more traffic than we expected.  Similar to the M3 in the middle of the day with lots of lorries.

 

 

A little snack to keep us going til lunch! 

View at our lunchtime stop at the freeway rest area

We knew it was going to get hot today and the car was saying 92-94f for most of the way.  The last stretch from the freeway to Laughlin the temperature suddenly jumped to 104f!

We found the Aquarius Casino Hotel and self parked then walked across to the hotel entrance.  The reception is in the casino, something neither of us has experienced before.  Were were allocated a king river view room on the 9th floor.  We entered a standard looking hotel room then opened the curtains to reveal floor to ceiling windows with an amazing view of the Colorado river with mountain backdrop.  Result!

Home Depot directly opposite hotel! 🤣

After looking at the view for a while, watching the water taxis and jet skiers, we went back down to have a wander round the casino then ventured out to the river walk way.  The sun was still very hot and the breeze very warm.  We also wandered round the local outlet mall before heading back and grabbing a beer at the hotel bar.

Another hour spent gazing at the view from our room and then we headed to Outback Steakhouse conveniently located in our hotel.  Instead of a whole bloomin onion we had onion petals and also mushrooms, then Keith had Alice Spring's Chicken and I had Bacon Bourbon Salmon.  

A quick wander back to the riverwalk to view the lights and we were surprised to find it still very warm (internet says 34c/83f at 8pm)!

View from our room at hotels other tower!

Another great day, looking forward to the Grand Canyon tomorrow!

Day 2 Six Flags Magic Mountain

We were up early! Not really a surprise!  But we did see the sun come up over the mountains.

We decided to get an early breakfast, included with the hotel so we popped down for some scrambled egg, bacon, selection of breads, yoghurt and fruits.

After a catch up with family back home and a video call with mum, we headed off to Wal-Mart as the park wasn't due to open til 10.30.

We got our shopping, mainly some water and a polystyrene cool box for the car to keep our drinks cool, then headed up to the Park.

Still early and only a handful of cars already in, we parked close to the entrance and walked the short distance to the turnstiles.  We waited in the shade and once the gates were opened went to exchange our printed tickets for the annual passes I had brought online.

The rides - what a huge amount of coasters, a lot of really good ones too! Our first ride was Full Throttle, a launched coaster, quite short but with some great elements.  We made our way round the park, riding as we went.  One of the main attractions we were looking forward to here was Superman Escape from Krypton.  Altho short it was good fun.

Full Throttle on its return to the station

Superman

Other rides we did included Scream, Riddlers Revenge, Justice League Battle for Metropolis, Twisted Colossus - now this was a bit of a surprise, it is a hybrid steel and wood coaster, a fabulous conversion from an old woodie but a shock to us, so fast and so much airtime, I think my bum was out of my seat for half the ride, I was holding on sooo tight!

Keith also rode Gold Rusher, Goliath, Tatsu, Classic Revolution, and X2.  We then walked round the park again and did some again.  The park was listed as "ghost town" for our chosen date and they weren't wrong, nothing more than 15 mins and most walk on or next ride.  Keith managed 3 rides on twisted Colossus and 6 on Full Throttle! He didn't re ride X2 though as once was most certainly enough.  He has never been scared on any coaster, til X2! Frightened the life out of him! 🤣  I'm just glad he went on alone first as I think our day would have been over at that point if I'd been brave enough!

The sun was strong and we had clear blue skies all day with temperature in the mid 80s.  A little too hot at times but lovely.

We left at park closing at 6pm and headed back to the hotel, only 10 minutes away, to shower and change before dinner.  We decided on Wood Ranch Bbq and Grill.  Was very nice I had salad with steak pieces and Keith had BBQ chicken burger.

Into bed by 9 exhausted! Think we might be too old for this stuff! 😂

All in all an excellent day and Keith is already planning a return with the kids.  Impressed with what we've seen so far of the West coast.

Day 1 L.A. bound!

We had a taxi booked to take us to Heathrow for our 11.30 flight.  He was prompt, arrived 10 mins early.  The journey to Terminal 5 was painless, reasonably quick with not too much traffic.  We had to queue for the check-in desk as Keith's boarding pass wouldn't print at home. Think it was because he'd been randomly selected for extra security checks. We'd had a panic about the weight of our cases the last night but we were within the allowances!  Phew!

Quickly through security, no delays, and we headed to Wetherspoons for breakfast.  We had time for a wander round the airport shops, didn't buy anything other than a couple of reading books for me, It wasn't long before our boarding gate appeared on the screens.  Keith got stopped for further security checks at the boarding gate but they seemed to have picked quite a few off our plane today!  I carried on and grabbed the window seat while he was being searched!

The flight was fine although I'm definitely not keen on BAs seat configuration on their dreamliners! 333 is definitely a squeeze, especially when sat next to strangers.  I would personally avoid this in the future.  It's a shame because I do like the dreamliners.

The view on the flight was great, over Greenland and Canada, then down across Missouri and Idaho, on past Utah where I think I could pick out Bryce Canyon and Zion which we will be visiting later in the trip.  Stunning landscapes and I was amazed at the vast desert landscapes dotted with small patches of green along the rivers.

Bryce Canyon in the distance??

 

We arrived at L.A. Airport about 3 and we made amazing time through the terminal, few minutes waiting for security machines for finger prints and photos, then very quickly though the manned desks (we were lucky here as the queues for international were quite long but as we walked up the pointed us down the line for US passports which had no queue, result!!).  Down the stairs to bag pick up where our cases were already coming through.  We were heading out to the car hire bus transport within 35 minutes!

Car hire was from Avis and were given the choice between a Kia Sorrento or a Mitsubishi, we went with the Kia.  We hit the L.A. highways around 4.30! OMG Traffic! Took us 2 hrs to do about 31 miles on the freeways! Patience was definitely needed.

Hotel for the next couple of nights was the Comfort Suites at Stevenson ranch.  Nice Rom with distant views of the mountains surrounding L.A.

After dropping our bags we venture out to see what food we could find.  There was a Dennys and an Outback Steakhouse nearby but tonight we decided on a quick burger from In and Out Burgers.  Bit like Burger King, tasty with nice fresh salad filling and scrummy shakes.

Back to the hotel and time for a rest, it's been a long day!  We were up at 6.30am and it's now 3.45am at home! 21hrs hmmm!  After a quick check of social media!, news and update blog it was time for some sleep.

Off to Six Flags Magic Mountain tomorrow.